The makers of Padmavati heaved a sign of relief after the Supreme Court on Tuesday reprimanded politicians for speaking against the film before the Censor Board could see and certify it. This, in a manner of speaking, means politicians trying to get mileage from the controversy have been asked to shut up.
While the film’s producers Viacom 18 Motion Picture expressed cautious relief at the judicial reprieve, sources very close to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali say that the director is smiling for the first time.
“Sanjay has not slept properly for months now. He is finally getting some sleep. The entire controversy is an exercise in the bizarre for him. He doesn’t get it at all. Why are politicians and protesters speaking against the film without seeing it? Strangers outside his home ask him when Padmavati will be released. From the public he feels only love for the film. So where is all the hatred and suspicion coming from?” asks a source close to the director.
While the release date is yet to be locked in, sources close to Viacom 18 rule out the possibility of Padmavati clashing with Akshay Kumar’s Padman on January 24.
“There is no need for that sort of a thing. Padmavati won’t clash with any other major release. A release date will be decided only when all the protests die down,” says a source close to the film.
In the meanwhile, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is working relentlessly on the post-production and remix. Everyone associated with the film has been asked to be discreet.
“Rather than brooding over the delay, he’s working on polishing up his product even more,” says a close friend of the director. “Be very quiet,” is Sanjay Bhansali’s instruction to his actors, musicians and technicians.
“Once the conflicts of interest are sorted, the Padmavati team will conduct a press conference announcing the date of release and answer all the
questions of the press,” says the source.
